The Rolex GMT is the jet-setting icon of the Rolex sports watch family. The history of this sophisticated, versatile style dates back to 1954 when Rolex received a request from Pan Am to create a technical pilots watch that could indicate two time zones simultaneously.   As advances in aviation made transcontinental flights commercially available Pan Am needed a watch that could be issued to their crews on long-haul international flights. GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time - the time zone that regulates world clocks and is required for all aviation planning and schedules. The Rolex GMT Master has a fourth 24-hour hand that directly displays the same time zone as the standard 12-hour hand but on a 24-hour scale. The addition of this GMT hand enabled crews to set the watch to GMT or another time zone, and, using the rotating 24-hour scale bezel, correct the offset to display a second time zone on the 24-hour scale. 

This feature is just as useful today, allowing the modern traveler to easily keep track of his home time zone, no matter how far he may have journeyed.

The Rolex Ref. 16758 was first introduced in 1980 shortly after the Ref. 16750 and was in production until 1988. Both the 16758 and 16750 featured the updated Cal. 3075 quick set date movement, but the 16758 included further advancements as well. The 16758 GMT-Master also featured a sapphire crystal and a bidirectional click spring bezel, which the stainless steel model wouldn't see until the GMT-Master II 16760.

For these reasons, the 16758 GMT-Master is also very transitional. Though the 16758 features more modern improvements than its stainless steel brother, the watch also retains the earlier style and much-preferred nipple dial configuration. This GMT-Master Ref. 16758 is a unique specialty and would be a proud addition for a discerning collector.  

CASE & BRACELET

The 18k yellow gold case remain full and strong with signs of being lightly polished in the past. The bi-directional 18k yellow gold bezel is in wonderful condition showing no major signs of wear. The brown and gold bezel insert is in excellent condition showing no signs of use. The 18k yellow gold "hidden-clasp" Jubilee bracelet with 47 end pieces is in great condition, retaining 21 links and showing normal stretch for the bracelets age and material.

DIAL & HANDS

The metallic brown nipple dial is in excellent original condition, showing some light aging with a bright orange patina beginning to form at the 8 o'clock marker. The tritium lume plots have a slight ivory patina and show no degradation under U.V. light inspection. The original tritium hands match the dial nicely, the minute hand is aging slightly darker than the dial towards the post. Under U.V. light inspection the hands show no degradation or lume loss. Thedate wheel is era correct with open 6's and 9's.